Goal: Conduct third-party investigation into the alleged killing of a teenager by military police, and ensure that the officers responsible are fired if guilty of using excessive deadly force.

A 17-year-old Lahu ethnic rights activist was reportedly shot to death by military police at a check point. The soldiers’ account of what happened has come under scrutiny due to the outrageous inconsistencies. The task force soldiers said that they detained the victim, Chaiyaphum Pa-sae, and the driver while they conducted a search in where they claim to have found methamphetamine pills inside the air filter of the car. The soldiers reportedly told the district police that the teenager escaped, then ran to the trunk of the car and retrieved a knife before fighting his way past them and running into the jungle. When they approached him, the soldiers say Chaiyaphum Pa-sae was getting ready to throw a hand grenade at them, so they shot the young man in self-defense.

Human rights activists question how the victim was able to accomplish so much if he was detained, as the soldiers reported. The story has even warranted a response from the executive director of Human Rights Watch Asia division, Brad Adams, who said “the claim that soldiers killed an outspoken young ethnic activist in self-defense after he had been held by soldiers sets the alarm bells ringing.” Adams also says that the lives of ethnic minorities in Thailand, and activists like Chaiyaphum Pa-sae, are at great risk, and killings such as this one are not investigated properly.

There are too many inconsistencies in the soldiers’ outrageous account, which should’ve warranted an immediate investigation into their actions. It’s appalling that the authorities would take one side of the story and dismiss the glaring red flags. It’s highly possible that this young activist was tragically and senselessly killed, but unless we pressure the authorities, he may never get justice. Please sign the petition below to demand that a third party investigation be conducted, and the soldiers involved be fired indefinitely and punished if found guilty of misconduct, including lying and using excessive force.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Prime Minister Shinawatra,

A teenage activist was reportedly shot and killed by military police during a check point. The soldiers told district police that the young man was detained, and then he allegedly managed to retrieve a knife from the car’s trunk before running into the jungle and attempting to throw a hand grenade at them. According to reports, they claim that they acted out of self defense and shot the young activist.

If the victim had already been detained, it seems unlikely that he could retrieve a knife from the trunk of a car or throw a hand grenade. Unfortunately, it seems the soldiers’ accounts are being accepted at face value, no questions asked. It’s appalling that a young man’s life was senselessly taken, and the soldiers who did it aren’t even investigated despite the inconsistencies in their story. We, the undersigned, demand that a third-party investigation be conducted, and that the soldiers involved be fired indefinitely and punished if guilty of using excessive, lethal force.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Vyacheslav Argenberg

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One Comment

There needs to be an independent investigation, no doubt. The inconsistencies in the soldier’s stories and their accusations against the teen seem unbelievable, and this killing should not be allowed to be swept under the rug by those involved.